ConocoPhillips said this morning that production has begun from its new Kuparuk River unit Drill Site 2S. The company said the project came in under budget and ahead of schedule. When the project was approved for funding in October 2014 production was expected to begin this December.

ConocoPhillips said this is the first new drill site at Kuparuk in more than 12 years and at peak production is expected to add some 8,000 barrels per day.

The project includes 14 new development wells, a new gravel road and new drilling pad.

Other Kuparuk owners include BP Exploration (Alaska), ExxonMobil and Chevron.

- Petroleum News

Linc still optimistic about Umiat

Even with low oil prices hampering an already complex project, Linc Energy Ltd. believes it can bring the Umiat oil field into production by the end of 2022.

In an annual report released Oct. 1, the Australian independent said it had "a detailed development plan in place." Linc said it plans to spend the coming year "implementing a low capital cost program specifically designed to advance our environmental impact study and plan of development, and progress the project towards full development approval."

Under a brief description, Linc said it would build five drilling pads with approximately 35 development wells targeting the Upper and Lower Grandstand formations in an 80-acre drainage pattern.

Under the current proposal, Linc would conduct environmental fieldwork through the end of 2016, advance permitting through late 2019 and continue permitting and front-end engineering through 2019 and 2020. Drilling would begin in late 2020 or early 2021. The company expects production to begin as early as late 2022 and increase to a peak of approximately 45,000 barrels per day by 2025 before gradually trailing off through 2047.

- ERIC LIDJI

Repsol permitting 2 winter exploration wells

Repsol E&P USA Inc. is permitting two 2015-16 winter exploration wells within the Pikka unit in the Colville River Delta area of the North Slope.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas, said in a public notice issued today that one exploration well will be on an island within the Colville River Delta and the other will be on uplands some 0.6 miles east of the delta. Temporary ice roads will be used to access the drill sites.

The division is taking comments on the proposal through 4:30 p.m., Nov. 10.

- Petroleum News

See stories in Oct. 18 issue, available online Friday, Oct. 16, at www.PetroleumNews.com